Day 21: Sunday, July 25, 2010

Thunder Bay, Ontario to Wabigoon Lake, Ontario

Indirect Miles:208

Total Trip Miles to Date: 2879

Road Trip Around The               

            UPPER GREAT LAKES....

Come back to this site often and ride along with me around the Upper Great Lakes.

New photos will be posted every day or two..

All Photography by Ken Stewart © copyright 2010

I left the “Shores of Gitchee Goome” (Lake Superior) behind as I headed further out west for a side trip to to the northern Ontario city of Kenora and the Lake of The Woods district on the Manitoba border, where I will visit family for a few days, before heading back to the US. 

Today’s trip was a stark contrast to that of following the shorelines of lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior for the past 20 days. With few exceptions there was not too much to see but miles and miles of trees.  After visiting the Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park, about 20 miles west of Thunder Bay, there were times I felt as though I was driving through tunnels of trees.

I also crossed into the Arctic Watershed, and from here on all rivers and streams flow north, rather than to the south into the Great Lakes. I also crossed into the central time zone, but did not reset my clocks, so dusk this evening was at 10:45 pm EDT.

Derived from the Ojibwa native language, Kakabeka, means “thundering water”. The falls is reported to be the highest in northern Ontario and for centuries was a challenge to Aboriginal peoples, explorers and voyageurs who had to portage around its steep cliffs, as did the settlers and soldiers who followed. At the base of the cliffs the rushing waters have exposed fossils of more than 1.6 billion years old.  

The Trans Canada Highway was slashed through miles and miles of pine trees.

Then, finally, there was a small lake and a rest stop, where a lone duck had the whole lake to its self.

Tourists pose for the obligatory photo at the falls.